Energy Independence
HOSTETTLER SUPPORTS NEXT STEP IN QUEST FOR
DECLARATION OF ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman John Hostettler (IN-08) says that today's passage of H.R. 5254, the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act, is another step forward as America works to free itself from dependence on foreign sources of energy.
"The House of Representatives has been out front on this," the Congressman said, "it's an issue that has repercussions for jobs, the economy, and national security. In 1981, we had 324 operating refineries in the U.S., today we have 148. That's unacceptable."
Despite an increasing demand for fuel, the United States has not built a single oil refinery in the country since 1976. This legislation works to provide American businesses with the long-term regulatory framework that they need to be able to construct and operate new refineries as soon as possible.
The Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act establishes a federal coordinator to bring together all U.S. government agencies responsible for issuing permits in order to help the permitting process move as expeditiously as possible. It gives priority in scheduling coordination to the Environmental Protection Agency, to ensure that the stringent environmental standards governing refinery creation are met. It also eliminates unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy in the permitting process.
"There are some key vulnerabilities that this bill addresses," Hostettler concluded, "to begin with; we already import a sizeable portion of the oil that we use. If we can't refine that oil domestically than we'll have to rely even further on foreign countries for our energy needs. That leaves us very vulnerable, and we can't take that risk.
This bill will also help us keep gas prices under control. About 47% of our refining capacity is concentrated in the Gulf Coast region, and we saw what that did to gas prices after Katrina and Rita last year. Since then, nothing has changed. If we build more refineries, we can at least take that risk factor out of the equation. One bad hurricane could send prices through the roof. This Refinery Act takes a proactive approach, and I say the sooner the better."
DECLARATION OF ENERGY INDEPENDENCE
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman John Hostettler (IN-08) says that today's passage of H.R. 5254, the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act, is another step forward as America works to free itself from dependence on foreign sources of energy.
"The House of Representatives has been out front on this," the Congressman said, "it's an issue that has repercussions for jobs, the economy, and national security. In 1981, we had 324 operating refineries in the U.S., today we have 148. That's unacceptable."
Despite an increasing demand for fuel, the United States has not built a single oil refinery in the country since 1976. This legislation works to provide American businesses with the long-term regulatory framework that they need to be able to construct and operate new refineries as soon as possible.
The Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act establishes a federal coordinator to bring together all U.S. government agencies responsible for issuing permits in order to help the permitting process move as expeditiously as possible. It gives priority in scheduling coordination to the Environmental Protection Agency, to ensure that the stringent environmental standards governing refinery creation are met. It also eliminates unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy in the permitting process.
"There are some key vulnerabilities that this bill addresses," Hostettler concluded, "to begin with; we already import a sizeable portion of the oil that we use. If we can't refine that oil domestically than we'll have to rely even further on foreign countries for our energy needs. That leaves us very vulnerable, and we can't take that risk.
This bill will also help us keep gas prices under control. About 47% of our refining capacity is concentrated in the Gulf Coast region, and we saw what that did to gas prices after Katrina and Rita last year. Since then, nothing has changed. If we build more refineries, we can at least take that risk factor out of the equation. One bad hurricane could send prices through the roof. This Refinery Act takes a proactive approach, and I say the sooner the better."
posted by K.R.Baxter at 00:41
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